1.5 million cars in greenhouse gas – Wel.nl

Landfills in India and South America appear to emit large amounts of methane gas. Scientists from the Netherlands Space Research Organization (SRON) show this.

Methane is the second most important contributor to the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere after carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas is released through agriculture, gas leaks, and thawing of permafrost on the ground. The latter is due to global warming, which means we can talk about a vicious circle.

But landfills can also do something about it. A landfill near the Argentine capital Buenos Aires emits 28 tons of methane gas per hour. According to the researchers, it can be compared to the effects of the harmful emissions of one and a half million cars.

TROPOMI, an advanced measuring instrument developed in the Netherlands, has scanned the entire globe from a satellite. India glowed red as methane evaporated from garbage in buckets in Delhi, Lahore and Mumbai.

“Methane is odorless and colorless, so it’s hard to see where it’s leaking,” says scientist Bram Mazakers. AD But satellites can measure it accurately. According to him, reducing methane emissions is relatively easy. “For example, you can separate and compost organic waste, which releases much less methane. If you mix all the waste anyway, you can still collect or burn methane gas.